How was your three-day Australia Day weekend? Feeling a little sad to be back into it today? Don’t despair. Let fun, new apps be your guide.
Android
Quickr
An app launcher that works on top of whichever app launcher you’re already using, Quickr gives you customisable tabs that float on the side of your screen, giving you up to four one-swipe buttons to access to your app of choice no matter what you’re currently doing. [Free]
Talon for Twitter
For power-Tweeters, the stock Twitter app ain’t gonna cut it. Talon’s got uber-customisable themes, text and layout, do-not-disturb mode, individual user mute option, home screen widget, and more, so you can truly make the mobile tweeting experience yours. [$2]
iOS
VLC
VLC’s don’t-care-what-format video player is (finally) back on iOS, with a slick new iOS 7 user interface and an overall smoother experience. It’s completely free and open source, and it works so well, you’ll wonder why you ever worried about file formats before. [Free]
Interviewy
If you’re in any sort of business where you have to record and transcribe conversations (for example, blogging), you know what a pain it is to scrub through a long recording to find that one golden quote. Interviewy lets you tag crucial moments in a recording by tapping or holding the screen, letting you skip right back to tagged moments on review. Smart! [Free]
Kennedy
This oddly-named journaling app lets you record way more than just your words. It notes down your location, the music you were listening to, the headlines, the weather, and more, giving rich context to the things you jot down. Reliving your most memorable moments just became an immersion experience. [$2]
Windows Phone
Path
Path is sort of a more cloistered social network, allowing you to post the traditional status updates and photos with an “inner circle” of trusted friends and family. It’s got a great design, and when you’re feeling extra open, you can always cross-post to the bigger social media outlets. [Free]
Nokia Cinemagraph
Take a picture, select a section to animate, and turn it into sweet GIF-y goodness with this app. As the name might imply, it’s exclusive to Nokias (specifically, Nokia Lumias), but if you’re so equipped, this looks like a fun way to turn selfies into GIFs. In a jiffy. Get it? Get it? [Free]